cheered up.
“Of course you do,” I said.
“How many astralnauts you figure they’ll pick?” Tobias asked. “I heard six.”
“I heard nine,” I said.
“They’re not telling,” said Shepherd.
“Well, you better hope it’s more than two,” Bronfman said smugly, “’cause that’d be Bronfman and Shepherd.”
He looked over at the captain, as if for approval. Shepherd didn’t laugh, but his right eyebrow lifted ever so slightly in amusement.
“I’m planning on being on that ship,” I said, hoping I sounded cockier than I felt.
Bronfman clapped me on the shoulder. “That’s the spirit, kid, but the competition’s pretty stiff. I wouldn’t get your hopes up.”
My shoulder stiffened. I hated being called a kid.
Bronfman looked over at Tobias. “And you’d have a better shot if you knocked off smoking.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” said Tobias, lighting another cigarette off his last.
“Good luck,” said Shepherd, walking off across the terrace. I guess he figured he’d spent enough time talking to kids.
“Nice meeting you two,” said Bronfman, following his captain. “See you tomorrow—if you’re still around.”
“They’re quite a pair,” I said to Tobias after they’d gone.
He shook his head in disgust. “I don’t know which one I hate more. No, I do. Bronfman.”
“He’s just full of hot air,” I said. “Shepherd’s the scary one. The way he just stares at you, like you’re a waste of space.”
“I heard he got almost perfect on the Scrambler.”
“How would anyone know?” I said irritably.
“He probably didn’t even turn blue in the shower,” said Tobias.
I grinned. “He probably just stared straight ahead and said, ‘That’s mighty refreshing.’”
We had a good laugh over that.
“You think I should quit smoking?” Tobias asked.
“They say it’s bad for your lungs,” I said. “Didn’t stop you from beating me in the obstacle course, though. Maybe I should take it up.”
We wandered over and sat down with some fellows from our own group. Most everyone seemed tired, but as the stars brightened, they got more talkative, their voices rising up into the darkness. Reg Perry said he wanted to see the canals of Mars. Tim Douglas said he was bored with being a fireman and wanted a new challenge. One fellow, a surgeon, said he’d seen a picture when he was a kid of a train leaving the station on a track that tilted right up to the moon—and he’d never forgotten it. Still another trainee said he wanted to see his name in the history books.
“What about you, Captain Shepherd?” someone asked the test pilot as he passed by on his way inside. “What brought you here?”
He shrugged. “They asked. And it’s my job. To fly the farthest, the fastest. Someone’s got to do it.”
I actually felt a bit sorry for him then, as irritating as he was. It didn’t seem like being an astralnaut held any romance for him. He wasn’t curious; he wasn’t an explorer; he was just a pilot, and he saw this as a chance to fly a new ship. I wondered if he even cared what was beyond the cockpit. I liked the idea of the ship well enough, but it was where it might go that excited me.
From earth, from this very terrace, the view of the stars was wondrous enough. Imagine how much more you could see thousands of miles beyond it. I tilted my head back and looked at them, now shining in full force. I found the tail of Draco, and with a smile my eyes settled on Kate de Vries.
UNDERWATER
T he sign on the door said ROOM F .
Normally the signs were a bit more helpful and gave us at least some idea what we might expect inside.
“Room F,” said Tobias. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
It was day three of training, and last I heard, we were down to eighty-three candidates. My name hadn’t appeared on the board yet, and neither had Tobias’s. It was the first thing you did every morning: check the board, sigh with relief, send a sympathetic glance to the
“Of course you do,” I said.
“How many astralnauts you figure they’ll pick?” Tobias asked. “I heard six.”
“I heard nine,” I said.
“They’re not telling,” said Shepherd.
“Well, you better hope it’s more than two,” Bronfman said smugly, “’cause that’d be Bronfman and Shepherd.”
He looked over at the captain, as if for approval. Shepherd didn’t laugh, but his right eyebrow lifted ever so slightly in amusement.
“I’m planning on being on that ship,” I said, hoping I sounded cockier than I felt.
Bronfman clapped me on the shoulder. “That’s the spirit, kid, but the competition’s pretty stiff. I wouldn’t get your hopes up.”
My shoulder stiffened. I hated being called a kid.
Bronfman looked over at Tobias. “And you’d have a better shot if you knocked off smoking.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” said Tobias, lighting another cigarette off his last.
“Good luck,” said Shepherd, walking off across the terrace. I guess he figured he’d spent enough time talking to kids.
“Nice meeting you two,” said Bronfman, following his captain. “See you tomorrow—if you’re still around.”
“They’re quite a pair,” I said to Tobias after they’d gone.
He shook his head in disgust. “I don’t know which one I hate more. No, I do. Bronfman.”
“He’s just full of hot air,” I said. “Shepherd’s the scary one. The way he just stares at you, like you’re a waste of space.”
“I heard he got almost perfect on the Scrambler.”
“How would anyone know?” I said irritably.
“He probably didn’t even turn blue in the shower,” said Tobias.
I grinned. “He probably just stared straight ahead and said, ‘That’s mighty refreshing.’”
We had a good laugh over that.
“You think I should quit smoking?” Tobias asked.
“They say it’s bad for your lungs,” I said. “Didn’t stop you from beating me in the obstacle course, though. Maybe I should take it up.”
We wandered over and sat down with some fellows from our own group. Most everyone seemed tired, but as the stars brightened, they got more talkative, their voices rising up into the darkness. Reg Perry said he wanted to see the canals of Mars. Tim Douglas said he was bored with being a fireman and wanted a new challenge. One fellow, a surgeon, said he’d seen a picture when he was a kid of a train leaving the station on a track that tilted right up to the moon—and he’d never forgotten it. Still another trainee said he wanted to see his name in the history books.
“What about you, Captain Shepherd?” someone asked the test pilot as he passed by on his way inside. “What brought you here?”
He shrugged. “They asked. And it’s my job. To fly the farthest, the fastest. Someone’s got to do it.”
I actually felt a bit sorry for him then, as irritating as he was. It didn’t seem like being an astralnaut held any romance for him. He wasn’t curious; he wasn’t an explorer; he was just a pilot, and he saw this as a chance to fly a new ship. I wondered if he even cared what was beyond the cockpit. I liked the idea of the ship well enough, but it was where it might go that excited me.
From earth, from this very terrace, the view of the stars was wondrous enough. Imagine how much more you could see thousands of miles beyond it. I tilted my head back and looked at them, now shining in full force. I found the tail of Draco, and with a smile my eyes settled on Kate de Vries.
UNDERWATER
T he sign on the door said ROOM F .
Normally the signs were a bit more helpful and gave us at least some idea what we might expect inside.
“Room F,” said Tobias. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
It was day three of training, and last I heard, we were down to eighty-three candidates. My name hadn’t appeared on the board yet, and neither had Tobias’s. It was the first thing you did every morning: check the board, sigh with relief, send a sympathetic glance to the
Similar Books
